The Lost Boy | ONC 2024

12 - A friend?

I stayed in my room for a few hours waiting for Frank who eventually entered through the window. He instantly noticed my mood and came to sit on my shoulder to comfort me.

"How do you feel about going home Frank? Home to my family, and live with the elves?" I asked him. He tilted his tiny head and looked thoughtfully at me for a while, then curled up around my neck like a scarf. Was that a yes or no I wondered. Maybe he didn't care, as long as I kept taking care of him?

After my stomach had growled at me for the fifth time I stood on my feet and decided to head downstairs and look for Tom. I grabbed all of my belongings, knowing we wouldn't stay another night in this town.

As I entered the gloomy room filled with empty tables my heart seemed to stop. Tom was seated at a table, laughing and eating, enjoying the company of Canan. I hesitated, but my stomach insisted that we'd move forward. With slow steps I moved to sit down beside my short friend, ignoring the tall one.

"Good morning Illon," Tom greeted but seemed to choke on his food when he noticed Frank around my neck. "What's going on?"

"He won't let go of me," I mumbled, keeping all of my attention on Tom then quickly changing the subject. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Leave?" He stared dumbfounded at me, "what about the heir?"

I leaned in and grabbed a potato from his plate, popped it in my mouth and savoured the taste of it. Gods I was hungry. "He doesn't want to be found, so let's move on. It's time to go home."

"Illon," he began, and I noticed how he glanced at Canan who'd been quiet since I arrived. "What did I miss? What about your brother?" I reached for another potato but before I managed Tom had pushed his entire plate towards me. "Finish the plate and then ya better start talking."

Before I had the chance to reply Canan opened his mouth. "It's between me and Illon." I noticed how he tried to catch my eye contact, but I stared down at my plate. "My offer still stands though, help me free my men and I will give you enough gold to free your brother."

I could see Tom raise an eyebrow as he looked at Canan, but he instantly turned to look at me. "Sounds like a good deal ta me, but we would need a magician or a witch ta help with that curse." 

"I know one," Canan added quickly, "I'm sure she'd help, if we pay her."

"Of course you do," I muttered, still not looking at him.

Tom sighed and stood on his feet, "I think you two need a moment alone. Talk it out!" he ordered before he picked up his pipe and moved towards the door to head outside.

"He's right," Canan added in a low voice as he leaned closer. "We need to talk."

"No we don't," I muttered, then filled my mouth in protest.

"Yes we do," he insisted. "You need to tell me what's going on inside your head, why did you suddenly reject me and why does it feel like you hate me?" Defiant, I picked up a sausage and filled my mouth again. He sighed, "Just give me a chance and if you still want me to leave after that, I will."

I felt rage boiling inside me and I shot him a deadly glare, "why do you even bother with me? What do you want from me? You want to fuck an elf, is that it? You want to cross the experience off your list?"

His eyes widened, surprised by my choice of words. "That was uncalled for," he mumbled and leaned back in his chair. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Why the hell are you kissing random women in dark alleys?" I spat.

I watched as realisation hit him. "You saw that?"

"Yes!" I hissed, "and I tasted her bloody lip balm on you."

He sighed and pulled his fingers through his hair. "I should have told you, and I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what exactly? That you fooled me to think that you liked me, when in fact I'm just another person to warm your bed when you're feeling lucky?"

He peered around the room, we were alone except for the barmaid who was wiping tables. "Can we continue this somewhere else Illon?" He asked with pleading eyes. "Please?"

"Tell me why you deserve that chance?" I asked, bitterness dripping from my voice.

"I don't, but you do," he said and gave me a quick smile.

I hated how his presence affected me. How his smile still made me weak. I did my best not to show him that, so I just gave him a nod, placed some money on the table and walked out of the tavern. Outside I watched Tom sit in the sunlight enjoying his tobacco, but instead of walking towards him I chose another direction. A spot where no one would hear us talk. I pulled out a cloak from my bag and put it on, trying my best to hide Frank who was still sleeping around my neck.

"The woman you saw is a friend of mine," Canan began as soon as he closed in on me. 

I rolled my eyes at him. "You kiss all your friends?"

He sighed, "Listen to me Illon," he said seriously, "I think you know how the world works. She's a single mother living alone. The world isn't kind to women like her, so whenever I'm back we kiss in public. It's a charade we do so people think we're married and they'll leave her alone."

I did not want to believe him. If this was the truth he was a much greater person than I thought he was and that would make me an even bigger fool for not confronting him sooner. If it was a lie, he was very good at it.

"Give me a reason to believe you," I muttered.

"I can't," he said plainly. "But if you let me join you and Tom, you will notice that I won't look at anyone else. My mind is set on you Illon, since the first day I saw you walking into that doomed village."

"Then why didn't you stop me?" I sighed. "Why did you let me enter?"

He gave me a weak smile as he reached out to stroke his thumb across my jawline, "I was afraid of the punishment."

That witch had to be something else if a big orc like him was scared of her, I thought. But I saw a glimpse of it in his eyes and for once I was sure he was speaking the truth. "I don't know if you're brave or a fool since you want to go back there."

"I don't want to, but I don't have a choice." He paused and took a hesitant step towards me, "I made them a promise."

I nodded a few times, "I understand. I made a similar promise to my brother."

As I was speaking he moved even closer to me, and when I was done he placed a finger under my chin to raise my head so that he could look me in my eyes. "Let me help you," he said.

"Why?" I whispered.

"Because I want to," he answered with a growing smile on his lips. "And by the time we've helped my men and your brother, I hope I have proven to you that you can trust me."

"And then what?" I asked, peering into his eyes.

"And then, Illon Goblinslayer," he whispered as his lips moved towards mine, he was so close I could feel his warm breath, "we see where life takes us."